Fifteen painters will decorate the downtown this weekend, at the inaugural Moncton International Street Painting Festival.

Downtown Moncton Centreville Inc. Executive Director Patrick Richard says, “We’re going to have 15 professional and amateur chalk artists that are going to be doing large-scale 2D and 3D chalk art exhibits. The theme this year, in keeping in line with the upcoming Guns and Roses show, is the History of Rock and Roll. So we’re going to have 15 pieces around that theme. Some will be 8X10s, 10x10s, all the way up to a 20X10 3D piece. These are high, high-quality pieces of art.”

Artists are coming from across North America, from areas including Florida, California, Vermont, Michigan, Ontario and New Brunswick.

Patrick says this Festival is a first for Moncton, but similar events have been held in other New Brunswick communities including Sackville and Miramichi.

If there is a little bit of rain, Richard says they are prepared for that. He says they’ll pause and cover up the paintings to protect the progress to that point, in the hopes it will pass. Once the rain stops, he adds, the artists will be able to fix the pieces and continue on.

The artists will be working on Canada Street and in the Ian Fowler Oval at the Avenir Centre from August 5th until the 7th.

There will also be a Kids Zone where children can create their own chalk artwork, food vendors, face paintings and live entertainment.

There are street closures to take note of during the Festival.

• From Saturday, August 5 at 5 a.m. until Monday, August 7 at 7 p.m.:
• A full closure of Canada Street from Main Street to the entrance of the Indigo parking lot for 1234 Main St.
  Note: Access will be permitted to the Hyatt Place Moncton/Downtown for employees and patrons of the hotel and restaurant.

(Photo: from City of Moncton)